A Brother Only In Blood
by ChangingTheCircumstances
Summary: It's been two years since Herc was nearly beaten to death by his brother and he still hasn't fully healed. What will the early release of Scott Hansen insure for Herc and his family? Modern AU (Warnings inside)
1. Ghosts of the Past

**AN: This will not be a happy fic! Cursing, mentions of past rape, murder, kidnapping, and emotional and physical abuse and manipulation so you have been warned. On that note, first Pacific Rim fanfic so please review and tell me what you think.**

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It had been a while since Herc had this nightmare but it came in perfect clarity. This time, he was a bystander however, floating around the scene, watching and waiting. The past him was dressed in a combat uniform, standing watch on the outside of the camp. He watched as his brother, Scott, approached from behind. He raised his weapon but lowers it immediately upon seeing it was only his kid brother.

The punch was sudden and unexpected.

Herc was always the stronger of the two but Scott was able to successfully hit his brother's temple. Throwing him to the ground, Scott got on top of him, punching him several times in the face. Herc hadn't known it at the time, but he remembered waking up in the hospital and the doctor telling him he had a concussion.

When the face was split and bloodied and it was clear he was too dazed to fight back, that was when Scott had started talking. Herc remembered the crazed look in his brother's eyes, the utter ruthlessness.

"You're fucking Pentecost aren't you?" The words had been hard to hear after the beating he had received but in the dream, they were in perfect clarity. "That damn Brit? I can't believe you. What about Angela?"

The next beating goes to his abdomen. Herc counted in his head as they happened, watching himself be pummeled; three broken ribs on the left side and a punctured lung, two broken ribs on the right, cracked clavicle and sternum. Scott had then broken his left right arm, snapping it backwards from the elbow. He dislocated Herc's right shoulder as well.

After breaking his right leg, Scott pulled out a switch blade. Herc couldn't remember when he had realized his kid brother was planning on killing him but it was clear, re-watching the event from afar that it had been his intent all along.

In reality, Scott had plunged the knife in once, pulled it back out, and stabbed him again. Gunshots and yells for help had been heard after that so Scott had ran to his post, leaving his brother completely broken and bleeding out on the sand. However, in the dream, right before Scott stabs him, Herc turned into Stacker and Scott stabs him instead. Rage filled through Herc and he was suddenly not just a bystander as he rushed at his brother.

Scott stabbed him though, again and again. The pain felt real as the blood pooled around his feet. When he fell to the ground and turned his head, it was just in time to see Stacker's glassy eyes. No help was coming, Herc was all alone, and for the moment, he had forgotten that it was a dream so he does the first thing he can think of.

He screamed so loud that heaven and hell could hear him.

It ended up waking Stacker as well who had to force Herc back on the bed to keep him from hurting himself and anything around him. Herc half expected dead eyes to be looking at him but they were bright and alive. Just looking at Stacker's calm demeanor helps to ease Herc's breathing.

"Are you okay?"

The words are like the last rope being thrown at him and it saves him despite everything. Stacker knew that Herc wasn't okay, maybe he'd never be, but the words still helped.

When it was clear that Herc wasn't going to freak out again, Stacker added, "Take your time. I'll get the kids ready for school."

Herc waited until Stacker had gotten dressed and closed the door behind him before curling into himself. All of his wounds healed properly except for his left arm which is now a few centimeters shorter than his right when outstretched. The memories were all too real however.

Though the colder weather of Britain certainly wasn't Herc's thing, once he'd realized he'd fallen for Stacker Pentecost he'd wanted something domestic, just like with Angela. Retiring early from the military due to his beating and the court case afterwards was not what he'd been hoping for. After that, he'd almost immediately moved to Britain even before he'd informed Stacker of it.

Australia just didn't seem like home any more. It had betrayed him in so many ways and now he couldn't stand to see its seas and deserts.

After finally feeling like he could stand and his insides wouldn't fall out, Herc took a shower and half hoped that by the time he was done, the kids would be gone. However, he'd either been quicker than he'd thought or it was earlier than usual.

Chuck and Mako sat at the table eating cereal as Stacker rummaged for some fruit. Usually Chuck always started the day with a sour look on his face but this time he seemed pained and just a bit scared. It appeared that his cry had awakened the two children and Herc couldn't help but worry about what he might have shouted out in his sleep. The first word in the kitchen causes him to flinch, not wanting to broach the subject anymore than he had to.

"Dad, what did Uncle Scott do?" Chuck asked. He had only been eight at the time of the incident, staying with relatives while his dad and uncle had been in the service. Two years later and Herc knew he should have told his son at least the partial truth but he just couldn't deal with it, not now, and instead left the room.

Chuck looked after him angrily and quickly turned to Stacker, yelling out, "Why won't he tell me?! He's my uncle after all! Besides, what can be worse than what I've already imagined?"

"A hundred times worse!" cried out Mako, her voice heavily accented. Without realizing it, she switched to Japanese but by this point Chuck could follow along well enough and Stacker spoke Japanese perfectly so neither have any trouble understanding her.

"Whatever happened hurt your father terribly. So terribly that he doesn't want to burden you with such thoughts. He is only trying to protect you!" Mako cried out. Only a few months older than Chuck and yet she was quiet often wiser than someone twice her age.

All Chuck had to say to that was, "Well maybe I don't need protecting!" and stormed out of the room. Looking down, Mako bit her bottom lip in despair but Stacker was there, a supporting hand her back.

"You know as well as I that he is angry at his father and not you," Stacker said in Mako's native tongue.

She nodded in understanding, the tears no longer ready to fall, but looked up at Stacker and softly asked, "What did Mr. Hansen's brother do to him?"

"As I could not answer Chuck I cannot answer you. That is Herc's place to tell and the time is not now," Stacker replied, ruffling her hair. "Go, you'll need to get ready quickly so that I'm not late for work."

She nodded and ran off, leaving Stacker to clean up the mess in the kitchen.

Stacker now had a desk job so he could be home as often as possible. There was still travel involved and certain nights he didn't get home until late but it was certainly better than being stuck in the Middle East with only an occasional call here and there. Besides, he wasn't sure if Herc could've lasted on his own some nights.

He'd thought the man was getting better, nearly half a year had passed since the last nightmare, but as last night showed, it was back full force. Before he'd officially retired, the military had made sure he got some psychiatric help but Stacker couldn't help but wonder if he needed something like it again. It had taken a long time for Herc to get out of his shell and now, from the way he had looked this morning, he'd gone straight back to stage one.

Stacker finished getting dressed and quickly pushed the kids into one of the cars in the driveway. Going back inside, he decided to try one last talk with Herc. He was back in the kitchen now, making something that was currently unknown. He didn't turn around.

"Herc, if you don't want to go to work today, I can always call—"

"No, it's fine," Herc said much too quickly.

"Herc—"

"I'm fine," Herc said again.

Stacker simply shook his head and left, leaving Herc to himself. After completely healing, Stacker's sister Luna had gotten him a job as a mechanic at her shop. Like both of them, she had been in the military but a serious injury had caused her to be discharged. She was good for Herc, another Pentecost keeping the Aussie grounded.

Despite wanting to stay home, Herc made sure to leave in time to get to work. Nevertheless, his fake demeanor was spotted out by Stacker's sister immediately.

Luna Pentecost could be just as dangerous, just as smart and strong willed as her brother but with one common difference; she almost always smiled. Nevertheless, that face dropped as she saw Herc walk in. Right away, she said, "Herc? My office?"

It wasn't a command but Herc went willingly with a sigh. Luna walked after him, her cane clicking along with her. Though you could never see it, her right leg had been twisted up pretty badly.

She allowed Herc to go in first and then sat on at her desk. Gesturing forward, Herc shook his head and remained standing. Luna waited until Herc looked down, back up again, and finally spoke.

"I'm perfectly fine to work. You know that right?"

Luna gave him one more thoughtful look, so like her brother, and then finally said, "I'll give you as much leave time as you need."

"I don't need that. I need to work," Herc stressed, trying not to shout.

Luna simply shook her head and gave a tired laugh. "Come on, you're my brother-in-law. I'm supposed to take care of you."

"We're not actually married Luna."

"It's the thought that counts."

"_Luna_, I'm fine. You don't have to look out for me."

She gave him a look that said I'm not so sure about that. Shaking her head, she knew she wouldn't get anywhere so she waved him away, saying, "You know I'm here if you need to talk."

"Of course," he responded softly, quickly leaving the room.

Luna shook her head, not really knowing what to do with Herc. She made sure to keep an eye on him all day but he didn't slip up and completely immersed himself in his work. She wasn't sure if that was a good or bad thing.

By the time that Herc went to go pick up the kids, he was able to put on a smile that he meant. Kissing them both on the forehead, he said, "I'm sorry if I worried you at all. I didn't mean to."

"It's fine," Mako replied. Chuck looked like he might try pushing on the subject of his uncle but stopped and simply nodded.

He discussed school with them both and once they were home, he felt fine once more only to have Mako walk up to him inside the house with the mail. She looked worried and the smile slipped off Herc's face.

"It…it says it's from your brother," Mako said, holding out one of the letters. Chuck's eyes widened at that but remained silent as he watched his father's shaking hand.

He opened it swiftly, appearing like he had forgotten the kids were there. His eyes scanned over the paper and he bit his bottom lip hard enough to make it bleed. "Please leave," he said, still not looking away. Mako dragged Chuck away as Herc quickly looked up something on his phone. It was the phone number of the hotel where his brother was staying. Scott had mentioned he'd be there for about a week in the letter which meant the chances of him still being there were slim.

"Yes, I believe you have a Mr. Scott Hansen?" asked Herc, his voice just barely shaking.

"One minute sir," said the voice on the other line. After a moment's pause, she said, "I'm sorry but he checked out yesterday. Was there anything else? Sir—"

Herc hung up and next checked the date just to make sure. Scott would be arriving tomorrow if the information in his letter was correct. Leaning against the counter, he took several deep breaths before trying to call Stacker but without any answer. He tried calling Stacker's secretary instead. She answered right away but Herc didn't even let her speak.

"Tamsin, I need to talk to Stacker now!" Herc said hurriedly.

Tamsin, Luna's wife, asked, "He's in a meeting—"

"It's about Scott. I don't know how he's out of jail. I don't know how he knows where I live but he sent a letter that says he's coming!"

He could hear Tamsin take in a deep breath as she quickly said, "I'll be right back."

As Herc waited, Tamsin rushed to the meeting room. Whatever they were talking about wasn't to important because they said that their need for Stacker was done and that they'd give him the report later. The moment the door was shut behind him Tamsin told him what Herc had said.

"How the hell is Scott out of jail?" hissed Stacker as he moved back to his office.

"Already figured out," Tamsin replied, handing him her tablet. "Says here that due to good behavior he got out on parole though I'm almost positive that coming to Britain doesn't count as within those limits. If he's able to get here then there's nothing the Australian government can do. I know you-_we_-consider what he's done probably the worst crime possible but what he's done is really quit minor and won't be on their priority."

"He raped three women," Stacker responded, his face set in stone. "Nearly killed his brother as well. He should've gotten life or even executed for what he did."

"Well there's nothing that you can do now but wait until he arrives if he does succeed in leaving Australia. You can make sure he never steps foot on your property but besides that I'm not sure what else to do," Tamsin replied, pausing. "Listen, I'll finish up here and you can go home to Herc. I'm sure he needs you now."

"Thank you Tamsin," said Stacker, immediately going into his office to gather his things. Tamsin picked up the phone again.

"Stacker will be home soon Herc."

There wasn't a response from Herc but Tamsin knew he heard it because of his labored breathing on the other side. Back at the home, Herc had to take several deep breaths to calm himself down but it didn't feel like anything was working. He hung up, afraid that his voice might betray him. All he could think about was that night. The one where his entire life was ruined.

_You're fucking Pentecost aren't you?_

No, no!

_That damn Brit? I can't believe you. What about Angela?_

Herc remembered the call, how she'd died in the accident. How could Scott have even brought her up in such a context? He had loved her with his whole heart. It wasn't his fault she hadn't gotten to the hospital quickly enough.

_You're a faggot! A fucking faggot that's going to die here._

Bending over, Herc hugged himself as if he could still feel the knife wounds in his stomach. He had to remind himself that he wasn't surrounded by dirt and sand. Physically he was fine, he wasn't going to die.

_You're not even worthy of your son._

"Get out of my head!"

The voice was soft and timid, scared and confused, just like when his mother died. "Dad?" Herc turned to see Mako and Chuck, looking at him with wide eyes that said they didn't know whether to step closer or run the other way. Herc slid to the tiled floor, covering his face with his hands. He was able to stop any tears that might come but that didn't mean he felt any better.

"Dad?" This time it was closer and Herc looked up to see both kids now standing in front of him.

There was nothing that Herc could think of saying and it seemed the two children were at a lost of words as well. Mako was the first to hug him and Chuck next. Herc gripped them both tight and Stacker found them like that on the kitchen floor as he got home.

Stacker moved forward, bending down and grabbing Herc's hand in a crushing grip. "Everything will be okay Herc."

"You can't promise that," Herc responded as the kids looked back and forth.

"I can because I will make sure that he does not lay a finger on this family no matter what the cost," replied Stacker. His eyes were steely and it was clear that he meant what he said. Not looking at the kids, Stacker continued. "You need to tell them Hercules. Scott is a danger and they need to know how large of a danger he is."

Shaking his head slightly, Herc let go of Mako and Chuck. "Go to the living room will you? I'll be there in a minute."

The kids ran to the couch as Stacker pulled up Herc only to have the Aussie embrace him with the steely grip of someone drowning that has just got hold of the last life boat.

"What if I can't do it?" asked Herc. "This will completely crush Chuck. He'll probably even blame at having one last family member."

"It is a hard choice but it is worth it to keep him and Mako safe. I will be there the entire time," Stacker promised as they moved to the living room where Mako and Chuck sat silently.

Stacker sat at the end as Herc sat beside Mako and turned so he could look both kids in the eyes. Taking a shuddering breath, he tried to think of the best way to say this. "You remember when I was in the hospital, right before I was discharged."

Both kids nodded their head.

"The reason I was in the hospital was because my brother…nearly beat me to death," Herc replied and it pained him to see the shock flash through the children's faces, especially Chuck's. "When the case was presented other things were brought into context and it became clear that Scott had also…violated several people's privacy."

It was the least graphic way he could think of.

"Why would he do that?" asked Chuck, his voice wavering.

"He found out about my relationship with Stacker."

Chuck hadn't liked Stacker at first but that was only because he had felt that his father was betraying his mother. Now his face turned red with fury and he clenched his hands into fists, his mind unable to comprehend why someone would do that.

Before he could utter a word though, Herc interrupted, knowing full well that allowing Chuck to vent would do the opposite of calming him down. "I did not tell you this so you would have reason to fight him," stressed Herc. "I've said this so that you know he is dangerous and that you should never approach him, talk to him, or get into a vehicle with him."

"Like with strangers," Mako responded.

"Yes…like with strangers."

"When is he coming?" asked Chuck.

"Tomorrow most likely. Hopefully you'll be in school. If not, I don't want either of you coming out of the house, understood?" questioned Herc.

Both children nodded and it allowed Herc to let out at least a little sigh of relief. "I am sorry for burdening you with this."

"It is not your fault," Mako responded and kissed him on the cheek. "I will finish my homework now if that is alright."

"Yes of course," said Herc.

Chuck didn't immediately jump up and instead looked away from his father and continued to clench and unclench his hands. "I…" he tried to start but stopped. "He used to throw me up in the air. He….he used to bring presents."

Herc looked back at Stacker who gave a small nod and got up to leave the room. Turning back to his son, Herc said, "Nothing is ever black and white. You could've never known."

"It's not that," murmured Chuck. "I owe you an apology." The words might as well have been a punch. Chuck rarely apologized and even then it was only when forced to. To elaborate, he continued with, "I always thought you didn't love mom when you got with Stacker. Like you just said I…I thought it was black and white. I see now that things can change. That you can…love another person. That you can also have your…feelings for the same one change."

He rubbed his eyes, small tears forming in them. It was a long time since Chuck Hansen had cried in front of his father and holding him close, Herc allowed him to let it out. Chuck had only seen him once while in the hospital and Herc could only imagine that the boy was trying to picture his uncle of all people doing those things to his own father.

Despite what Herc had just told him, he couldn't believe his son had gotten some understanding out of it. When Chuck had stopped crying, he gave him one last squeeze before pulling away. "Hey," he said, "come help me fix dinner."

"Really?" asked Chuck.

"Yeah, I'll help you finish any homework you have later."

The dinner was nice and for the first time in a while, Chuck really seemed to connect with his father but a dark cloud hung over everyone. The next day, Stacker woke to find the side of his bed cold and when he went outside, he saw Herc bundled in about twice as many layers as was needed for that kind of weather.

Normally such a sight would've amused Stacker but given the circumstances, he could only frown. "How long have you been out here?"

"Few hours," Herc responded, shifting but not leaving his post.

"You should really get inside. You'll end up catching a cold or—"

"I already called Luna. I'm not going in today."

"And what if Scott ends up being a day late or even a week?" asked Stacker.

"Then I'll continue to wait. He is not stepping one foot on our property," Herc hissed out.

Stacker simply let out a sigh and moved back inside, making sure to hand Herc a cup of coffee before leaving with the kids. Mako and Chuck hugged him goodbye, both with worried looks on their faces. Herc tried to put on the bravest smile for them but it was immediately dropped when the car was out of sight.

It wasn't long until his phone rang and he answered it.

"Herc, what the hell are you doing sitting outside your house in this kind of weather?" questioned Luna from the other end.

"Did Stacker tell you?"

"No, I have cameras set up everywhere. Of course he told me! You're lucky I have a business to run and can't get down there to kick your ass."

"I'd just out run you."

"Ha ha," she muttered. "_Funny_, now get inside before I really do consider driving down there."

Herc was about to make a smart-alecky reply but stopped as he saw the cab pull up. "Luna I have to go. I'm sorry."

"Wait-what? Herc, is he there? Is—"

"Yes," he simply replied and then shoved his phone into his pocket and made his way to the cab. He watched his brother get out and he couldn't help but grimace at how much it simply looked like the old Scott. But had there ever really been an old Scott? Or had that been just a mask he'd hid behind?

He stopped in front of him before he could even close the cab door and said to the driver, "This won't take long."

"What? Don't want to welcome your brother back from jail?" asked Scott with a grin, throwing his arms wide.

Herc almost took a step back but resisted the urge and instead said, "You step one more foot onto this property and I'll kill you."

Scott raised an eyebrow clearly not impressed. Looking at the house behind his brother he said, "I suppose you're still living with that bastard Brit. The house is too big for just you and Chuck. Speaking of which, can I see him?"

"First off, his name is Stacker. Second, you're never going to see Chuck again."

Scott's eyes narrowed ever so slightly and they seemed to catch something that sparked the cat like grin to only widen. "Haven't been sleeping well? Bad dreams?"

"That's none of your business."

"Come on, you can tell me the truth Herc," Scott replied.

"You want to know the truth? I think you should rot in jail and if they gave the go ahead to flip the switch I'd volunteer to be the one to do it. So, how about you try being a little more truthful with me because what did you honestly hope to accomplish coming here?"

Shaking his head, Scott sighed and gave a dark chuckle. "Honestly, I still don't give two shits about you and about killing me? Well the same goes for you old man. I came here to see Chuck because like it or not, he's my nephew."

The punch was swift and caused Scott to real back as the driver cried out, "Hey, I'm not sticking around for this!"

"Fine with me," Herc replied, grabbing Scott's shirt and throwing him to the ground. The cab driver drove off as Scott was able to reach up and give a good solid kick to Herc's ribs.

Herc fell back but was quick to push himself off the ground and punch Scott in the face again. He brought his fist back only to have the thin, cold metal of a switchblade pressed into his stomach. He froze above his brother, his eyes traveling to where the sharp knife had already cut his coat.

"I think it was right here that I first cut you," Scott commented. "Or was it a bit lower?"

Herc used his free hand to grab at the knife. It sliced through his clothes but the amount of layers he was wearing made the cut sallow and only sting. He got up and kicked Scott again before stepping away. His brother jumped up, holding the knife in a ready position. He seemed to be pondering rather to thrust forward or not but finally snap the knife back and put it away.

"Come back again…and I will kill you," Herc said. For the first time in a long time, he felt in control. He could tell that Scott had thought he'd be able to beat his older brother easily but this time Herc had not been caught off guard and no matter how afraid of Scott he might be, he wasn't going to let that get in the way.

Scott grumbled something unintelligible and got up from the ground, brushing himself off. "Want me gone? Fine." He spit on the ground. "Give my regards to the _missus_."

He took out a phone, presumably to call a cab, and began walking down the road without looking back. Herc watched him go, his eyes never leaving him until he was gone. Finally letting out a breath he didn't realize he was holding, Herc headed back inside and tend to the wounds that he had received.


	2. Danger in Every Turn

Herc ignored his phone as he wiped the small bit of blood from his face but was stopped when instead of a phone ringing; he heard his front door slam open. Jumping, he began to make his way out of the bathroom and head downstairs while looking for a weapon. His fears subsided though when he heard a click of a cane and the loud shout of, "Hercules Hansen! I'm going to kill you!"

It was just Luna.

"I'm in the restroom," Herc called back out as he returned to the bathroom and started wiping the blood away again. He'd already taken off all the layers of cloths and was bare-chested by the time Luna made her way up there.

Before Luna said anything, she took one look at his appearance and then cried out, "You've been stabbed!"

"Sliced is a more accurate description. It's only the flesh, nothing deep," Herc reassured her.

"I don't care. Where'd your brother go? I'll beat him to a bloody mess."

"Didn't catch an address," Herc responded. "I wouldn't be shocked if he came back but it might be sometime before that. He's walking away with some injuries of his own."

Luna could only shake her head with a sigh as she moved forward to have a closer look at his wounds. "Don't tell me he broke your ribs again."

"No, just bruising this time," Herc reassured her.

"Well you'll certainly get a black eye out of this. I don't think that cut needs stitches though which is good."

"Just the diagnoses I had," said Herc. "Really, I'm fine. I'm sorry for causing you so much trouble. You can go back to work now."

"Would you really rather be alone?" asked Luna. Her stare didn't waver so Herc finally had to look away which basically answered her question. "Then I'm staying put. Stacker already said he'd get the kids today anyway."

After getting cleaned up, Luna went downstairs with Herc and made them both tea. Though the cut didn't bother him so much, the bruising made it painful to move. He sat at a stool, hands folded and waiting as Luna went about, knowing her way around the kitchen like the back of her own hand.

Neither talked at first and then, out of nowhere, a memory immerged and he was speaking it out loud to her. "There was someone else there. The night Scott beat me."

"What?" asked Luna spinning around. "Why didn't you tell anyone? What if—"

"Believe me; it wouldn't have been relative to the case anyways. It wasn't one of our men but a Middle Eastern. Maybe he'd broken away from his group on purpose or by accident. I don't know. The point is that he saw me, bleeding out on the ground. He tore off part of his robes and pushed against the wound. At the time I was to lucid to understand but once I awoke, it turned out that the pressure that he had applied had staunched the bleeding enough to safe my life.

"And just now, after hearing Scott say he'd kill me without any remorse, it's just hard to believe that a stranger was kinder than my own brother. A man, who would've probably shot me out in the open, saved my life because he had more compassion than my kid brother." Herc let out a sigh. "I should've noticed something earlier."

"He's family Herc. We don't notice things like that in family because we'd rather not believe it."

Rubbing his tired eyes despite the bruising on his face, he said, "But I was thinking for the hours that I sat out there. When Scott was a kid, he liked to kill bugs and that shouldn't be so abnormal, lots of kids kill bugs. But he'd set them on fire and watch, drown them, stick them in a confined area with different fumes and see how long they lasted. This carried on until he was nearly a teenager and once I even caught him with something bigger than a bug."

Herc didn't elaborate on that but the look on his face made Luna repress a shudder.

"And he was a huge playboy," he continued. "It wasn't uncommon for him to cheat on his girlfriends though that particular girlfriend usually didn't find out. The fights only escalated as he got older and when we joined the military I thought…I thought it would be good for him. The only thing that got better was his ability to hide what he'd done wrong."

"You still aren't to blame for any of it," responded Luna. She took his hand and leaned over the counter, "Hey, come on. Look at me. You're not alone now. You won't be caught off guard again. You have _family_ that will help protect you."

"I wish that made it better but it honestly doesn't. Having people I care about only makes me fear more than ever that someone else will get hurt."

"Well he's not pulling anything over on me," muttered Luna. "And Tamsin isn't the most innocent of people either."

"Boy do I know that," Herc responded which actually produced a laugh from both of them. It felt good but that quickly disappeared. The silence was only interrupted by the sound of the kettle and as Luna poured the tea, Herc said, "Thank you for being here. I actually would rather not be alone at the moment though I feel bad about pulling you away from work."

"I'm my own boss. Feel free to pull me away from work anytime you want," she said with a chuckle.

They spoke only briefly more about Scott before turning to kinder topics and then Luna volunteered to help clean the house. Herc tried to stop her but she was dead set on it so they vacuumed and picked up toys here and there. The entire place was as good as new once Stacker and the kids got home.

However, the bruise had also fully flourished and immediately the kids were running to him. "Did Uncle Scott hit you?" cried out Chuck. "What happened?" Mako asked.

Before Stacker could say his own words, Herc quickly said, "I'm alright. Bit sore but I'm fine."

"Will Uncle Scott be back?" questioned Chuck.

"Hopefully not. At least not for a while," responded Herc.

"Yeah, according to him, he gave Scott his own beating as well," responded Luna.

"I thought you were at work," Stacker said.

"How can you call me, tell me that his brother of all people is coming here, and then not expect anything to happen of it?" asked Luna. "Really Stacks, what kind of sister do you think I am?"

A small smile played at the edge of Stacker's mouth as he moved over to Herc to get a better look at the bruise. He softly stroked his face and then asked, "Are you sure you're okay?"

"Better," Herc softly replied. "Maybe not okay but better."

Stacker did smile at that and then began to look around the home. "You cleaned?"

"We both did," put in Luna. "No point in staying if we weren't going to do anything."

"Well thank you very much. Mako, Chuck, I think it's time we work on your homework now," Stacker added.

He guided them out of the room but paused, turning around, and asked, "What other wounds did you receive?"

"Doesn't matter, I'm fine Stacks."

"_Hercules_."

Herc could only roll his eyes at that but said, "Bruising to the ribs and a small cut but nothing else."

"Good," Stacker said, giving one small nod. Turning to Luna, he said, "Stay for dinner. You can call Tamsin over as well."

"Sounds like a plan. Herc and I can start something up in an hour then."

They went about their business and Tamsin arrived about thirty minutes later. After doing her own worrying over Herc and voicing her own threats, she calmed down enough to have a normal conversation. At one point, Herc excused himself to check on Chuck and Mako. Both seemed to be doing relatively well considering what had just occurred.

"How are you holding up?" asked Herc, sitting on the side of Chuck's bed. Both kids were piled on to it with their books and binders scatter over the room.

"Fine I suppose," Chuck said. "Stacker informed the school about Scott and how they should call the police if they see him at all."

"Good, I want you both to be as safe as possible."

"Do you think he might hurt me too?" asked Mako.

"I honestly don't know. He may not even know about you though I highly doubt that," responded Herc.

"I'll protect her either way," Chuck said, putting his fists up.

"Or I'll protect you," she responded.

Before an argument could insure, Herc said, "Or you can both protect each other. But there shouldn't be too much of that. Stacker and I will make sure nothing happens to you."

Nodding in understanding, Herc went back down to make sure everything was ready for dinner. The cloud that had hovered over everyone before was somewhat better than the day before. It was doubtful that this would be the last they would hear from Scott but at least Herc had people that would support him and that his kids understood the danger.

The next day, Chuck and Mako had the councilor pull them out of their class's right before lunch. Chuck and Mako were both silent as they walked to his office but both already knew what this must've been about. All of the teachers had been giving them odd looks throughout the day so some type of memo must have been sent around.

"Do you know why you're in here, Mako, Chuck?" asked the counselor.

Chuck nodded. "We know our uncle's a dangerous man. We know that Stacker gave you a photo to identify him by."

"That is good to here but I also wanted to simply tell you that I'm always here for you if you need someone to talk to at school. Also, if you ever think you see Scott Hansen, please report it to a teacher."

"Of course," Mako said. "May we go back to class now?"

The counselor nodded, letting them leave his office. Once they were out, Chuck's first response was, "Why the hell would I want to talk to him about it? This is a family issue, not something for a counselor to be bothered with."

"He's just doing his job," Mako said with a sigh. She glanced at a clock in the school hallway and asked, "Want to just go to the restroom and wait? We only have about ten minutes before lunch."

Chuck laughed. "Imagine your dad's face if he found out just how many rules you were the one to actually break instead of me. Remember that fight you started?"

"The boy said you had no soul though I still don't understand why. I figured I had to prove him wrong in some way," Mako responded causing another smile from Chuck.

The day went on fairly uneventfully though a few teachers would pull them aside to talk to them about the situation but at the end of the day everything was the same. Mako and Chuck then stood outside the school, waiting for Herc to come and pick them up when they saw his car. Immediately they both moved forward but Mako grabbed Chuck's hand so that he wouldn't get any closer.

"Mako, what—"

"The car. It is a different model," Mako said and upon closer inspection, Chuck saw she was right. It was very similar but not exactly the same. The door opened and a man got out that had both Chuck and Mako backing away.

In the background, they heard one of the teachers on duty yell out, "Chuck! Mako! Come here right now!" She ran to the two children but stopped a few feet from them as the younger Hansen pulled out a gun.

He advanced quickly and as a few people saw what was happening, a kid screamed and a teacher pulled out a phone but was stopped as Scott shouted out, "Call the police and you'll have a new opening."

Moving quickly to where the two kids were he said, "Chuck, you remember me. Right? It's your Uncle Scott."

Chuck simply stared, taking a step back.

"Come on, I just want to hang out with you," said Scott, holding out his hand. When Chuck didn't come any closer, he roughly grabbed his arm causing a cry from Chuck. "I said come on!"

A teacher was already calling the police, making sure to stay hidden enough so that Scott was unable to see him.

"Don't touch him!" yelled Mako, grabbing hold of Scott's hand and tried to pull him away. Scott hit her in response but when she didn't budge, he grabbed her and Scott, dragging them both away like it was nothing.

"You wanna come? Then you're coming!" yelled out Scott, dragging both kids back to his car.

He was distracted though so the female teacher that had tried to grab the kids first rushed at him. Scott loosened his grip on Mako and pulled the gun farther up and fired, hitting the woman in the stomach. More screams sounded as Scott threw both kids into the back of the car and locked the doors. He was about to get in when he heard one voice over all the others.

"Scott!"

Herc had just pulled up in time to see Scott shoot the teacher and was now racing towards him. Scott jumped into the car as Herc tried to yank the passenger's side open. Mako and Chuck started screaming but it was no use as Scott easily pulled away. Herc ran back to his car and drove after his brother as he also called 999.

"There's a woman at Grange Primary School who's been shot. My son and daughter have been taken by my brother," Herc said, his voice rushed as he weaved in between the vehicles.

"An ambulance is being sent to the school. Sir, what is your name and where are you following your brother's vehicle?"

"My name is Hercules Hansen; my brother is Scott. My son Chuck Hansen and my partner's daughter Mako Mori are currently in his car. He has a gun, I don't know if he has any other weapons. He's driving down Owton Manor Lane still, west, and I can still see his vehicle. It's a black Vauxhall Astra. I can't see the license plate."

"Police are in route. Sir, I would suggest you stay on the line at this time."

Herc nodded and then remembered that the woman on the other end wouldn't be able to see him and replied that he would. However, he quickly remembered Stacker and said, "My partner, he should know about this. His name is Stacker Pentecost. He works at HQ London District."

"We'll get a message to him right away sir. Are you on the same rode or have you turned?"

Herc quickly told her where they were now and continued giving directions for the next five minutes but lost the car in traffic.

"No!"

"Sir, calm down. There are officers in pursuit. We'll—"

But Herc had already hung up as he looked at the line of cars in front of him. His breath came in, slow and shaky, then quicker as tears appeared in his eyes. He hit the steering wheel once, then twice, and then again and again shouting at the top of his lungs. Only yesterday he had felt in control and now his entire life had fallen apart again.

It wasn't until cars started honking behind him that he finally moved and headed back home. He was the only one there so the first thing he did was go to the rec room they had. Instead of prepping himself like he should have, stretching and loosening up, Herc began hitting the punching bag just as hard as he had been hitting his car's steering wheel.

His knuckles split but he kept going anyway. He didn't even hear the door open or the person behind him before he felt the arms wrap around him. He immediately knew who it was but he fought as hard as he could until all he could do was cry.

"Herc, the police are here," Stacker said softly once he could finally get in a word. "They want to know if there was anything else you might've seen."

Herc took several deep breaths before asking, "The school teacher. Did she…is she alive?"

Stacker's silence was all Herc needed. He quickly said, "It was not your fault. Now I know that you can do this. Come on."

He finally let go of Herc but kept one hand on the small of his back for support. There were two officers in their living room along with Luna and Tamsin. After briefly introducing themselves, Herc told them exactly what he had seen, every small detail he could remember.

The last thing one of the officers asked was, "Were either children hurt?"

"Not that I could see," responded Herc.

"Thank you for your time Mr. Hansen. If your brother tries to contact you in anyway please tell us."

"Will do," responded Herc as he watched them leave. Once the door had closed behind them, he said, "I'm so sorry."

"Herc, this isn't your fault," said Tamsin stepping forward. "There was nothing you could do."

"But if I had reacted quicker, drove faster. If I had called the police before approaching Scott then maybe that teacher wouldn't have—"

"Just stop it now!" shouted Luna. "There's no use beating yourself up Herc. The only thing we can do now is hope that something comes up and we are able to find both of them. Besides, it's doubtful your brother would hurt either of them, correct?"

"Yeah, but nothing can be a hundred percent sure at this point," Herc responded.

"No, it isn't which is why we have to try as hard as possible to get our kids back," said Stacker. "I will pull every string I can to get them back here safe and sound."

Herc didn't argue but he could only shake his head, gripping his hair and trying to breath easily.

Miles away, still on the road, Mako and Chuck were no longer screaming and instead were completely quite, almost wishing they could melt into the back seats. Scott had only started talking once they'd gotten out of the city. Immediately a charming smile had come on, kind words, but all either of the kids could see was the crazed look and the blood blossoming on their teacher's shirt.

"So, who's your girlfriend?" he asked.

"She's my sister," responded Chuck at the same time that she said, "My name is Mako."

"He adopted," muttered Scott. "Just perfect. Bringing another kid into his sick family."

"My dad is not sick!" yelled out Chuck. "And neither is Stacker!"

Scott shook his head as if it pained him to say it though both kids knew that wasn't true. "Your dad's a liar and a faggot. Of course he's sick and don't even get me started on Pentecost."

Chuck bit his lip. "You're not religious are you?"

"Why does that matter?" asked Scott.

The boy simply shook his head that it didn't but he couldn't understand why his uncle hated his dad so much. Usually people who disapproved of Herc and Stacker were religious and even then they never went to the lengths that Scott would. Chuck doubted he would get a concrete answer if he asked about that so he started a different subject.

"Why is he a liar?"

Scott huffed. "He always said he'd have my back and then he turned around and did that. Let the police just take me like it was nothing."

Once again, Chuck nor Mako understood so they just kept silent.

"Listen, you're safe now," Scott said.

"Safe? You shot a teacher," replied Mako. "We don't know if she'll be okay either!"

"She'll be fine," responded Scott. "I'm sure of it. Hey, you kids like music? We have the whole pick of the radio for us."

He turned it on but Chuck and Mako didn't respond for a long time. It wasn't until the eleventh song had just ended that Mako asked, "Where are you taking us?"

"Well…I don't have a definite idea yet, but I was planning on America."

"Oh, cause we won't stick out like a sore thumb there," muttered Chuck.

"Hey! Positive thoughts, right kids?" Scott said with a grin. "Besides, we wait long enough, go far enough, no one will think anything of us."

"So we won't see Mr. Hansen again or Senpai," Mako said. It was so soft that it was shocking that Scott even caught it.

"Nope. Don't need to. You got all the family you need in this car here," replied Scott.

Chuck and Mako looked at each other with worried faces but there really wasn't anything they could do. Chuck thought that if they stopped somewhere, maybe they could find someone, tell them what was going on, or maybe the television stations had already started putting their faces all over the news. However, Scott kept driving and eventually, despite their better judgment, both kids fell asleep in the back seat.

Chuck was roused first and then Mako with, "Come on, we gotta hurry."

Sleepy and disoriented, it wasn't until they actually stepped on the vessel that they realized they were on a boat. They must have also stopped somewhere too because they suddenly, albeit small, amounts of luggage to carry.

They could have tried to make a run for it but Scott still had the gun and the fear of getting shot was all too real. Instead, they willingly went on board and went to their room. It had four bunks and there was another passenger already staying there which meant Chuck and Mako couldn't do anything but neither could Scott.

"Come on, have either of you ever been to America? No? Then this should be fun."


	3. The Shine of Hope

It was still late so Chuck and Mako fell asleep again, exhausted from the day's events. When they woke up, the other man in the room was out and so was Scott. Mako opened the door and looked down the corridor, looking both ways but it was empty. Going back over to Chuck's bed, she woke him up.

"Where's my uncle?" asked Chuck.

"I don't know," Mako said. "Do you think we should leave now?"

"And go where? We're on a boat," Chuck muttered.

"But maybe we can find someone. What about a radio?" asked Mako.

Chuck bit his lip and then rushed to the door and looked both ways as well. "Okay, it's certainly worth a shot. We should probably get dressed first though."

The clothes that Scott had grabbed for them didn't exactly fit right but they were close enough. They walked down the hallway and through one more before going through a door that led them onto the deck. There weren't many people around, the ship certainly not being a cruise liner or anything as fancy. Mako and Chuck couldn't tell who to talk to. Besides, who would believe two kids?

They finally stopped in front of an older man that looked friendlier than the rest. Mako tapped him on the back and asked, "Excuse me?"

He turned and smiled. "What can I do for you two?"

"We were kidnapped," Chuck blurted out.

The man laughed as he said, "Ah, you're playing a game. Who's the bad guy?"

Shaking his head, Chuck said, "My Uncle Scott did. He really did!"

"Kids, such imagination—"

"We need your help sir," Mako interrupted. "We aren't joking."

"My father doesn't know we're here. He and my uncle hate each other so he took us away. You have to—"

"There you two are!" cried out Scott causing both kids to freeze. "Having fun yet?"

"Uh, hello there," the man said, his voice just shaking a bit. "These kids have been telling me a mighty interesting story."

"I bet they have," Scott said, pulling both kids to him and fondly ruffling Chuck's hair. "They have such an imagination about them. I think it's all those movies and TV shows."

"Yes, I suppose it is," the man said.

"Well, I'd love to stay and chat but I'm sure these two want to see what else is on this boat. I'm sure we'll see you again."

"Most likely," the man replied.

Scott gave one last smile and pulled both Chuck and Mako away, his pace quickening with every step. Very softly, he said, "That wasn't a very smart thing to do but lucky for you, we won't have to worry about that man or anyone else on this boat."

"What do you mean?" asked Mako.

Scott smiled. "While you were asleep, I was making sure everything was ready. Had to mess with their radio and steal some things from the kitchen but we're good."

Realization dawned on Mako when they stopped in front of a lifeboat. "What about the cloths? Our other belongings?"

"All we need is in this here boat," Scott replied. His voice suddenly grew colder as he then said, "Now get in."

They clambered into the vessel as Scott followed them as quickly as possible. Someone, either a passenger or a crewman, began to run towards them but Scott released the boat and they roughly dropped into the water. Chuck and Mako clutched to each other as they tried not to fall off the boat.

Scott started the motor and began to maneuver the boat away from the ship. The ocean spray flew up around them as they sped across the ocean. Chuck looked back at the people that were coming to point and stare at them from the ship. He did the last thing he could think of and yelled out, "Help! Help us! Help—"

But his world immediately turned black as Scott hit him in the back of the head.

Herc received the phone call first while at work. He stepped away from the car that he had just been about to put new tires on as the police filled him in on what had occurred. The ship had been able to forward camera footage to prove that the group had been Scott, Mako, and Chuck. They had gotten into a lifeboat in the middle of the sea. It took Herc a moment before he could find any words and even then, all he could say was, "Thank you."

Herc hung up and then began to run his hands through his hair. He bit his bottom lip hard enough to make it bleed, taking a step forward and then a step back. Someone else quickly moved forward and began working on the car, Herc's posture clearly showing that he probably wasn't going to be moving for a bit. All of the eyes in the garage were either completely avoiding Herc or on him but such attention was unknown to him.

When his body finally seemed to be able to move, he walked out of the shop and just kept walking. He ignored the people around him, the cars driving by. He had no idea where he was going or what he was going to do.

He finally found himself at a bar and it took him all of two seconds to step forward and get a drink. Despite being a large drinker at certain times, he had always been careful to never over do it. Whenever he felt a bit to woozy, he would usually stop but this time he didn't. He ordered another round and another until it was a miracle that he was still sitting up at all.

The noise around him had blurred into one large clump so it wasn't to surprising that a misunderstanding occurred.

Despite his sloppy and uncoordinated movements, Herc was bigger and stronger than the person he had started the fight with. If he had kept going, it was completely possible that he could've knocked the man out but as he raised his hand for another punch, he stopped and all he could think of was Scott.

Herc realized he was acting just like his brother and such thoughts were enough to jerk him away and no one stopped him as he left the bar.

Once he was home, the first thing he heard was the blaring voice of Stacker but the only thing that he could really tell was that the man was pissed off at him. Nevertheless, he quickly quieted and softly asked, "Is that your blood?"

Herc swayed as he looked down and when he looked back up, he shook his head no.

"Why would you do this Herc?" muttered Stacker. "Everything has already been hellish enough without you disappearing and—"

"They're going to die."

Stacker froze. "Why would you say such a thing?"

"They're in the middle of the ocean," slurred Herc, "in a lifeboat. They're going to die and it's going to be all my fault."

He stumbled and as Stacker caught him, he passed out, his pain and thoughts passing into dreams. Herc should've pulled himself together, should have known that if he did one more day of such a destructive pattern that it would only hurt Stacker, but as the days went by it became harder to keep himself straight.

If Scott, Mako, and Chuck had stayed on the ship, it would've taken them about four more days to reach New York City. Now it was impossible to tell for sure. A week and then another passed with nothing. Satellite imagining didn't pick up anything either.

A month went by and Herc had already seen the bottom of too many bottles when he then got the news of the lifeboat washing up on the shore in South Carolina.

After hearing the information for himself, Herc got a call from Stacker as he waited at an airport for a plane.

"What do you think you're doing?" asked Stacker from the other end.

"I'm getting our kids back."

"Hercules Hansen, you step one foot on that plane and we are through!" Stacker cried out and it broke Herc up inside because it was _not _true. Stacker radiated confidence; every sentence was a steady statement. Yet, this time his voice shook, he was probably bent over his desk, eyes squeezed shut. He yelled the words that meant nothing at all because he didn't have another card to play. He couldn't think of another valid reason that could keep Herc there.

"I have to do this Stacks."

"You're a mechanic, not a bloody detective."

Herc shook his head. "Wrong on both accounts. I'm a soldier and I'm doing what soldiers do best."

"Soldiers follow orders. That's what they do."

"You know just as well as I do that that's not completely true," Herc replied. "Soldiers are what mankind created to help validate their reason for killing others. And I think I have a pretty valid reason right here."

"Herc, there is no going back if you do this," stressed Stacker.

"I'm sorry but I'm done waiting. I've waited for nearly a month. Besides, how do we know that neither of them are dead? Hmm? They were out there for weeks!" Herc has to take another deep breath before he says the next words. "Good bye Stacker."

He couldn't hear if anything else was said on the other end because he had already hung up as he heard that his plane was ready for boarding. The entire process was painful, sitting there, nothing to do. His phone kept ringing, messages from Stacker, Luna, Tamsin, and so many others but he eventually put it on silent.

It was impossible to know for sure what others dreamt of, but Herc just couldn't sit by after all of the nightmares that had comes his way. He would have gladly welcomed back the old ones if it meant he could also have Chuck and Mako again.

The latest dream consisted of cold skin, dry and salty hair, gigantic waves, and glassy eyes. No bodies have been reported but that didn't stop Herc's imagination from going on full overdrive.

Now he wondered if he should have just been killed in that desert. He certainly would've saved everyone a lot of trouble. Stacker and his family certainly wouldn't be involved in this and no amount of good behavior could have gotten Scott out of jail after killing his own brother. Of course, Chuck would've been alone but maybe that would've been better. Especially if he turned up at the bottom of the ocean.

He found a hotel in South Carolina and immediately started looking. He had to have looked like the madman with a funny accent, broken by the world, to everyone around him. It didn't stop him from asking, from moving around though. When nothing turned up in the city though, he simply went to the next coastal one. Just because the lifeboat washed up in one area didn't mean they couldn't have moved to another.

Only two cities away from where Herc was roaming, Scott had fit himself and the kids up in an old motel room. Chuck and Mako were both malnourished and dehydrated and seeing a doctor was probably in their best interest but neither was Scott a doctor or a kind person so he just got them a few bottles of water and crap from a vending machine.

It was a stupid move to simply leave them alone but because of their condition, neither moved as Scott went to the bathroom and took a shower.

Both had been sunburned very badly as well, especially Chuck who had eventually given his shirt to Mako to try and help her. Now he was curled up on one of the dirty beds, every movement hurting. Mako grabbed a bottle of water and helped Chuck sit up and drink it. He drank it too fast and started to throw up the stomach acid that had been eating away at his insides due to lack of food.

After purging himself, he whispered, "You should run. Now."

"I would not get far. And I am not leaving you," Mako said, resolve in her voice. After some silence as both drank some more of the water they had been given, Mako added, "I miss home."

"So do I," muttered Chuck.

It was the first time they had both been talking about the same thing. For Chuck, home had been Australia. For Mako, home had been Japan. Now, without even meaning to, they had started referring to home as the house in Britain with Herc and Stacker. The ache for warmth and family was growing inside them when Scott came out of the bathroom.

"Hurry up and clean up," muttered Scott. "We'll be leaving early in the morning."

Chuck went first and then Mako. While the other was in the shower, the other kid awkwardly sat in silence on the second bed. After spending weeks with them both on a lifeboat, Scott seemed content in ignoring them for the moment.

While on the lifeboat, both children had come to the realization of just how dangerous Scott was and just how short his temper could get. He'd nearly thrown Mako overboard at one point and hit Chuck again at another though not hard enough to bruise.

The beds were uncomfortable but anything was preferable compared to what they had just been through. Chuck and Mako curled up on their bed, falling asleep right away. It seemed like only seconds later though that they were being roughly awakened and dragged back into the rental car that Scott had gotten (though technically it was now a stolen rental car).

It wasn't until they had gotten on the road again that Chuck asked, "Where are we going?"

"Well I was planning to go south, but your dad would expect that. He knows how much I hate the snow so we'll just do the opposite. We're going to Alaska."

Chuck knew where that generally was and the idea of being so far away, with absolutely no one, was a terrifying thought. Even through the weeks on the lifeboat, he'd hoped someone would come, someone would save them. Now that idea was gone.

The next motel wasn't any better than the last one. It was the middle of the night; Scott and Chuck were fast asleep. Mako was nearly there but she kept looking towards the door. If they were quite enough, then just maybe they'd be able to leave and simply run for it, no matter where they were.

Gently, she shook Chuck awake and had to cover his mouth to keep him from grumbling. Giving him a piercing look, he immediately understood what she was trying to say. He turned and looked at his uncle who was still snoring.

Slowly, both children crept to the door and unlocked it. The night wind was chilly around their bare feet, their shoes in their hands. They softly closed it behind them and then headed towards the main office of the building.

Neither had the faintest idea of how to drive a car and the sound could always alert Scott, so they tried getting into the office, hoping that whoever ran the place was still there. The door opened easily but the lights were out. Some type of noise was coming through the back however so they headed towards it. A TV was crackling through some show and there was a man asleep in an armchair in front of it.

"Sir? Sir, excuse me-ah!"

Mako hadn't meant to scream but the man had jumped up so suddenly that both kids had reeled back. "Who are you?" the man asked.

"My Uncle Scott-I mean the gingered haired man. He bought a two bedroom for this night. We were in the car," Chuck tried, his voice just barely shaking.

"Well what are you doing here?" he asked, rubbing his eyes.

"We…we're Chuck Hansen and Mako Mori," Chuck tried.

The man raised an eyebrow. "Is that supposed to mean anything to me?"

"We might've been on the news? My uncle, Scott Hansen, kidnapped us."

"Kidnapped you?" the man asked, trying to understand what to do.

"Yes and we….we need your help," Mako answered.

The man clearly didn't know whether to take this seriously or as a joke but before he could ask any more questions, the sound of running footsteps came nearer and then Scott was rushing into the room.

"Oh thank god you found them! I was so worried," Scott said, putting his best fake smile on.

"They uh, they were saying some mighty crazy things."

Scott laughed. "Yeah, well kids you know. They have a great imagination."

The shot mixed with the screams that surrounded them.

"Why did you do that!?" cried Chuck. "Why!?"

Grabbing hold of both of them, Scott growled, "Because you two just couldn't keep your mouth shut. Perhaps this will teach you a lesson. You don't want someone else to end up dead, then don't tell anyone else again."

They were dragged back into the car, the doors locked as Scott went back into the office. "He's going to kill us," murmured Mako, her entire form shaking. "We're going to die."

"No, he won't kill us," Chuck replied.

"Maybe not today. Maybe not tomorrow, but he will eventually find it easier than dealing with us," said Mako.

Chuck knew she was right so he stayed silent as they waited for Scott to come back. This time they drove for two days without stopping. Neither kid slept in the car though, to frightened and to afraid of the nightmares that were sure to appear.

Not far behind them, Herc got word of what happened at the motel and then did a search on his phone to figure out just how many motels there were on a considerable stretch of the highway. If he was lucky, Scott wouldn't drive off into a different direction for a while.

While driving, he also bought a gun. Off the books, no serial number. Now Herc had a weapon. All he had to do was mentally prepare himself for the actual act of killing his brother.

He stopped by each rundown motel, asking if anyone had seen Scott or the kids. He didn't stop no matter how much his eyes would droop until he finally got somewhere. The owner of the motel told him which room Scott was located so he headed over, his heart pounding like a storm. Herc might be able to see his children again for the first time in so long or he could simply reach another dead end.

He contemplated busting the door in but then favored for knocking, just in case Scott wasn't in the room. However, when he saw the mop of ginger on his head and the familiar blue eyes, he fired at him with as much precision as possible. The shot hit but it wasn't fatal and Scott rushed backwards. He fell which was the only thing to save him from the next bullet. Scrambling backwards, Scott pulled out his gun and grabbed hold of Chuck, pressing the gun to the boy's temple.

Mako was behind him, her eyes widening at what she saw. Chuck had immediately begun struggling but stopped as he saw who it was. His entire body began to shake.

"You look like shit."

Those were the first words Scott said to Herc. He resisted the urge to either lunge forward right at that moment. If Chuck hadn't been in Scott's grasp, he might've just done that, gun or no gun.

"Dad?" whispered Chuck.

"I'm here. I'm going to get you out of this. I'm—"

"Come now Herc," interrupted Scott. "Why would you make promises you can't keep? You're never getting these kids."

"I wouldn't be so sure."

"And why would you say that?"

"Because the police are coming anyway. I called them before I came in." It was a bluff, a dangerous bluff.

His face twisting, Scott almost growled, looking angrier by the second. "They're coming huh?" He seemed to make a very serious decision. "Well, I guess they'll need something here to satisfy them then."

"No!" cried out Chuck but it was to late.

As Scott raised his gun, Herc brought his forwards. Both shot only milliseconds apart and as Scott's shoulder was torn up, Herc was not backwards by the bullet and completely stilled after heating the ground.

This time, Mako and Chuck didn't scream. They simply couldn't find it in them. Instead, shock rolled through them and no matter where Scott pulled them to, the only image in their head was Herc lying on the ground, and the blood that blossomed around his head.


	4. A Stranger to Anchorage

**AN: Sorry for the late update. It took me a while to really get his chapter rolling. Enjoy.**

* * *

Stacker had never felt so as angry as he did now. Tamsin and Luna had come with him but he might as well have come alone. He hadn't seen Herc for a week, only to have to see him like this. So still, so…cold.

The doctor's still weren't sure when he would wake up.

His head shaved, bandages covering him, it was painful to look at. For two months, his entire life had been hell, and it looked like it wasn't going to change anytime soon.

According to the doctors, any injuries he had sustained were healing along with his body getting better nutrition than beer and crisps. Thankfully, Scott hadn't tried double tap and had been in a big enough hurry so that the bullet had only grazed Herc. Really, he should've already woken up but as the doctors said, it was most likely because he didn't want to.

Stacker didn't want to believe such a thing. Herc was a fighter, always had been, and the idea that he would just give up then and there….it wasn't right. Of course, it would be hypocritical to not think of how Stacker had been thinking of the same thing as well. Just small, simple thoughts had crossed his mind, here and there, but he knew he would never do such a thing. The fact that Herc was so low was enough for him to know that he had to move forward if only for the sake of that one man.

Now there was little to do but to wait though. The trail had gone cold and the younger Hansen seemed to be doing an even better job of keeping his tracks covered. Not a single body had turned up anywhere either which was a very small, but comforting, relief.

Nevertheless, Stacker was not the only one with issues in the world. Far off in Anchorage, Alaska, a young man had walked into his father's room, only to have the world fall from beneath his feet as well.

Yancy Becket looked at the empty closet like somehow doing so would make the clothes that weren't there appear. The room still had most of its belongings but all the essentials were gone. Yancy had already checked the not-so-secret box underneath the bed that had held a good bit of their savings. It was gone as well.

He'd thought for sure that the entire night before had been a farce that his dad hadn't meant any of it. Granted, three days ago he hadn't thought the old man would hit Raleigh but he proved them all wrong pretty quickly.

As if on cue, Raleigh and Jazmine came into the room. There was a sizeable bruise on the boy's jaw line which would always be there in Yancy's mind. He still blamed himself for not being able to protect him.

Jazmine, only eleven years old, took in the room and asked, "Is dad gone for good?"

"I…I don't know," Yancy finally said. "But if I had to venture a guess…I'd say yes."

"What'll happen to us?" asked Raleigh who was only fifteen.

"Nothing, I will keep us afloat."

"I could get a job then—"

"No," Yancy interrupted quickly. "You're to young anyways. I promise I will provide for us."

But he of course might not get the chance to provide. He was eighteen, legally an adult, but would the government actually give him custody over his little brother and sister? He wouldn't be able to afford a good lawyer either and he definitely knew that he couldn't just keep pretending that his dad was actually still there.

"We'll be okay. I promise," Yancy said again. "Come on, let's eat breakfast."

They moved out of their dad's bedroom and headed to the kitchen where Raleigh turned on the TV. Yancy pulled out a box of cereal and was getting some milk when he heard the news. He was getting ready to tell them they could change it to something more interesting when he listened to what they were actually talking about.

"After a shooting occurred on the East Coast in a motel, this man, Scott Hansen, has taken the interest of the U.S. police," said a news reporter. "After breaking parole in Australia, Hansen arrived in Britain where he kidnapped the son and daughter of his brother, Hercules Hansen, and brother's partner, Stacker Pentecost. The children are Charles Hansen, and Mako Mori. Scott Hansen is armed and dangerous, already having killed one man and nearly having killed his brother. Anyone with any information about this man or the children should contact the police immediately and are advised to not approach this individual."

"Wow," murmured Jazmine. "Why would you kidnap your own nephew and niece?"

"Who knows," muttered Yancy, finally changing the channel. "There's no understanding to people like that. Here, cartoons are certainly more interesting."

As thoughts of the Hansen's slipped from Raleigh's and Jazmine's mind, Yancy took out his cheap cell phone and dialed Tendo Choi's number. He stepped out of the kitchen and into the hallway where the stairs for the second floor and a door leading to the leaving room were. He sat down and rubbed his eyes tiredly but in truth he'd never been more awake at such an early time.

At age 21, Tendo was neither a genius nor the best at planning far ahead but he was lucky as hell and could be extremely charming if he wanted to. Having inherited a small fishing company from his dad, he left college and became the head of Pan Pacifica Fishing Corporation, PPFC. Despite the age gap, Yancy had met the guy in high school and they had become close friends either way.

Not too long ago, Tendo had offered a job but Yancy had declined, declaring that fishing wasn't his thing but now it seemed like the best option. It wasn't long before the other man picked up with his usually chipper voice. "Yancy, my man, I didn't know you got up this early. Aren't vampires usually afraid of sunlight?"

Such a comment should have caused Yancy to let out a huge laugh but all that was heard was a soft huff.

"Hey, what's wrong?" asked Tendo, immediately being able to tell that things weren't alright.

"I fucked up. I mean….it's not my fault but…" Yancy stopped again, taking a deep breath. "We're screwed Tendo and I can't see a way out of it."

"Oh god, are you losing your house?"

"Not of the moment but I wouldn't be surprised if we did soon," muttered Yancy. "Dad's gone and I'm positive he's not coming back. He took all our savings as well. All that money he took out of the bank not to long ago. We don't have anything."

"Does Raleigh and Jazmine know?"

"They know dad's gone but I doubt they really know how serious it is."

Tendo paused for a moment and then asked, "So I'm guessing you're calling about the job offering?"

The way Tendo said it made Yancy stop breathing. "Don't tell me you already got somebody."

"What?! No way man, and besides, I'd find a position for you any day. No, it's just that I wish this was under better circumstances is all. I can help you out if you need more money though. I could—"

"No, I…I can't do that. That would already be asking to much of you."

"It's the least I can do, really," Tendo insisted. "It doesn't matter that I'm officially your employer if you accept this job. You're my friend and that comes first. Want to meet up after you drop Raleigh and Jazmine at school?"

"Sure thing. Kaladi should be open this early," replied Yancy, mentioning a coffee shop.

"Okay, see you in about thirty minutes?"

"Yeah." Yancy hung up and then went back into the kitchen to make sure Raleigh and Jazmine were almost done.

They were and quickly put their dishes away. Running upstairs to make sure their book bags were packed, Yancy grabbed his coat and started looking for his car keys. He'd finished school a year ago. Yancy had planned to start with some summer classes for college but it looked like that dream would be out the window. But not for Raleigh or Jazmine. He'd make sure they got everything they needed, whether he was able to look after them or not.

The drive to the two different schools was quick and the worry that had been on both kids' faces washed away as they were greeted by their friends. Nevertheless, Yancy knew that it must be eating them both up inside. He just hoped he could figure a way out of the hole they'd fallen into before they realized exactly how deep it was.

Making his way to the coffee shop, he saw that he was the first one there and made sure to order two coffees.

Despite the circumstances, when Tendo got there he couldn't help but give a small smile. "Aw, you bought me a coffee? How sweet."

"Don't kid yourself. Both of these are mine. Like you said, it's early as hell and I need all the caffeine I can get."

"It's almost eight."

"Like I said, early," muttered Yancy which just had Tendo rolling his eyes.

Despite the ease at which the conversation had flown, the mood quickly darkened once Tendo arrived back with his own cup. Sighing, Tendo rubbed his hands together before asking, "Are you truly sure he's gone? I mean, your dad has left before."

"No," Yancy muttered, "not like this. He not only took most of his clothes but he also took out all our savings from the bank a few days ago and left with that as well. He could be anywhere in the States _or_ Canada for all I know."

There was a pause as he allowed that to sink in for Tendo. Before the other could reply though, Yancy added, "I'm glad he's gone though. He hit Raleigh three days ago."

"You mean like a hit or an actual punch?" asked Tendo, his voice becoming stressed, not sure if he really believed what his friend was saying.

"Yeah, right on the jaw. I…I should've been able to protect him. That fist should've never landed on my little brother."

"Is that why you had that black eye?" asked Tendo, the question causing Yancy to flinch just the slightest. "You said you got in a fight. Actually, you use to _fight_ a lot."

That one word came out stressed as Tendo thought back to every bruise, cut, or broken bone he'd ever seen on Yancy. The other gulped down the rest of one of his cups of coffee, avoiding the staring eyes. Wiping his mouth with the back of his hand, Yancy replied, "I was the cushion between my siblings and our dad. There wasn't much else I could do."

"But you use to always talk about how great your dad was! How he'd take you guys to movies and parks and hang out after school!" cried Tendo.

"Those stories? Fabricated," Yancy responded with the slight wave of his hand. "He used to be like that, before mom died. If you had known him before that, you probably would've loved him as much as we did. He was great. They both were but when she died from cancer something…something happened. He just never got out of the hole he had dug himself into. It only really started getting physical these past few months though and only this week was it really that bad."

"You still should've told me man! I feel like the worst friend ever now. I should've seen something."

"It really wasn't as bad as you're probably making it out to be. Most of the time he just ignored us, acted like we weren't there. Besides, I never let anything slip," replied Yancy, now swirling the coffee in the other cup. "And I didn't come here to tell you my history. I want to know when I can begin work."

Tendo shook his head. "Are you sure you don't need some time to just…process the situation?"

"I'm going to need a lawyer Tendo. Raleigh will be eighteen in less than three years but I still don't want him stuck in the foster care system for the last teen years of his life. And Jazmine is only eleven. I could never do that to her."

"I can always let you borrow some—"

"Out of the question," Yancy interrupted. "Besides, I'm sure some asshole will use the excuse of me having to borrow money one of the reasons I shouldn't take care of my little brother and sister. Starting work would be the best way I think. At least it would show I was motivated and willing."

"Alright, but when do you think you'll be informing anyone?"

"Day after tomorrow probably. Just so I can set everything else straight as well. I'm still not sure if Raleigh and Jazmine realize just how bad this is going to be."

"Well you deserve custody. And whether you like it or not, I will help you out as much as you can. Hey maybe it'll ease their minds if you had a boyfriend," Tendo said with a wag of his eyebrows.

It was the first time that day that Raleigh laughed as he shook his head at the antics of his friend. "I think some would like that even less. Besides, what about Alison? How are things going with her?"

They quickly moved on to lighter topics, neither wanting to focus on the reality of the situation though it stayed at the back of their minds. Tendo did convince Yancy to at least go and do whatever until a little after one before he came over to see exactly how his company ran. Instead of trying to relax however, Yancy went to see how much his car could sell for. There was a bus that could take his siblings to school and the public transportation wasn't terrible. Any bit of money would due at the moment and, when he waited at different dealerships to listen to a price, he'd look at the magazines advertising houses and apartments.

After calling the schools to confirm that the children would be told to take the bus home that day, Yancy checked his watch and saw that he still had plenty of time. He took his time to go looking at a few apartments. It seemed like they were all either to filled with roaches or to small for a family of three. Yancy would've liked to keep the house but he knew that option was only a dream that was unlikely to happen.

After another glance at his watch, he started heading to one of the areas for the bus stops. The people moved around him, their own troubles either hidden behind smiling faces or dripping from their forms. Yancy was so lost in his thought that the shock of seeing the little boy leaning against the wall threw him out of it.

Being a large city, Anchorage had plenty of homeless people and Yancy had seen some of them. He'd just never seen one of them be a little boy.

He had to have been Jazmine's age, maybe even younger. There wasn't even a coat around the kid's shoulders and he looked dirty, malnourished, and sickly. Looking around, Yancy half expected to see someone else matching the kid's red hair and freckles but there was no one. Every other person on the street seemed to just ignore the kid as well. Yancy couldn't bring himself to just keep walking however and there was something at the back of his mind as well.

Walking over to the opening of the alleyway, it wasn't until he was standing right beside the kid that it hit him. "Are you Charles Hansen?"

The kid started and upon seeing his face, Yancy had to keep himself from flinching as well. The kid's eyes weren't filled with hunger or sadness, there was no anger or pain, just a shocked, empty look. It reminded Yancy of Raleigh's and Jazmine's face when their mom had died. Hell, he'd probably had the exact same look as well.

The kid seemed to be analyzing Yancy, clearly unsure of him before finally answering, "It's Chuck, not Charles."

There was just a hint of anger that filtered into his words and it's the first bit of emotion that Yancy can detect.

Kneeling down, Yancy asked, "Did you know the police have been looking for you?"

"I figured they might have," murmured Chuck, "but every time I've tried to get help no one seems to know who I am. Why do you?"

"Your face was on TV this morning," explained Yancy. "But don't worry, I'll call the police now. They'll be able to—"

"Do you have a home?"

"Well yes," Yancy said, a bit put off by the sudden interruption.

"Is there food?"

"Yes."

Chuck looked down for a moment, clearly mulling this over in his mind before saying, "Can we go there first then? I'm starving."

Yancy thought about arguing, or simply ignoring the kid's wishes and calling the police anyway, but something about his lost eyes and haggard expression stopped him. Instead, he shook his head and muttered, "Come on then. But after that we're going to the police."

"It wouldn't make much difference," Chuck murmured. Yancy wanted to ask what he meant by that but his facial expression clearly said he didn't want to elaborate at the moment.

Trying to be as nonthreatening as possible, Yancy held out his hand but the boy got up on his own and stood staring, waiting for Yancy to take him to the next destination. Slowly drawing his hand back, Yancy began to walk in the direction of the bus stop again, only now intending to go home instead of Tendo's. He'd have to call his friend since it was doubtful he'd be able to get over there in time but the moment didn't seem right at the time.

It wasn't long before he noticed how much Chuck was shivering and Yancy mentally kicked himself for being so stupid. Once they were on the bus and Yancy had paid for both their fairs, he took off his jacket and put it around Chuck's shoulders.

Once again, the kid jumped, his face turning to a confused look. Then, without warning, his bottom lip began to tremble at the same time that Yancy's heart began to jump out of his chest. He tried to figure out exactly what he'd done wrong but it appeared that Chuck wasn't going to break down there and for that Yancy was grateful. However, he couldn't help but wonder what could've caused the kid's waterworks to try and start flowing.

It wasn't to long before they got to Yancy's house and the moment he closed the door, Yancy said, "I'm sorry if I did something wrong. I didn't—"

"What are you talking about?"

"Well on the bus. After I gave you my coat you—"

"It wasn't your fault," interrupted Chuck, glancing from side to side before moving to the kitchen area. He got into one of the chairs and looked around the place before turning back to Yancy. "You're kinder than my Uncle. That's why I almost started crying."

Yancy recalled that in the news report it had said Chuck and his sister had been abducted by the boy's uncle. Remembering the sister, Yancy quickly said, "Wait! Then we should hurry to the police as quickly as possible. We could try get to your sister and—"

"She's dead."

"Wh-what?"

"I didn't see it happen but I know that it's already occurred," muttered Chuck. "Uncle Scott didn't really care about her anyway. He was just keeping her along because he knew it made me less likely to run away."

"Then why did you?"

"I didn't. Mako opened the car doors and pushed me out while we were moving. I was so shocked that I started running the moment I could. I've been on the streets for almost two days."

Giving a small gulp, not sure what to make of what Chuck had just said, he ran over to the fridge and began taking random things out and putting them on the table. "Um, eat as much as you want," Yancy mumbled. Once the kid finally started eating he tried to think of what to say, if anything, so he tried, "Is your accent British or Australian?"

That's when the waterworks finally started coming as Chuck tried to swallow the last remnants of food in his mouth. Yancy began panicking again, it having been forever since he'd had to consul a crying child. But before he could say anything, Chuck got out, "Stacker's going to kill me! His daughter is dead because of me! My dad is dead because of me! He'll never want me again! He'll hate me!"

"Hey! Hey! It's going to be okay!" Yancy cried out, rushing forward and putting his arms around the kid in what he hoped was a comforting gesture. Granted, if what this kid said was true, then his sister and his dad were dead. How were you suppose to consul someone from something like that?

"Eat something else, I'll grab you some water, and then we'll go to the police station and find your sister," Yancy said.

"She's dead!"

"But you didn't see it happen! Just…give me some faith here," Yancy tried. "Please."

"I lost any faith the day I saw my dad shot in the head," replied Chuck.

The words moved through Yancy like ice and yet, something Yancy had said or done must have gotten to the kid because his tears slowly eased up. He shoveled in some more food and grabbed a tangerine, shoving it into his pocket. Yancy gave him the bottle of water and then started towards the closest precinct.

Yancy had never been to the place before and he didn't know anyone in the force so it was odd and took sometime before some of the officers finally realized just who the boy standing next to him was. After that, people had begun rushing around and suddenly Chuck had disappeared from his side and Yancy found himself being pulled into an interrogation room.

It took mere seconds before someone came in but despite their urgency, the look on their face did calm Yancy somewhat.

"Where's Chuck?" He was a bit shocked that those were the first words to come out of his mouth but it was true. He wanted to know where the kid was.

"We're having a doctor look over him now and then we'll be questioning him later," the woman said. "I only have a few questions for you though sir. You put down here that your name is Yancy Becket, correct?"

Yancy nodded. "I found Chuck on the streets. He wanted some food before we came here so I took him to my house. He looked really sick so I wanted to do something before throwing him in front of all the questions that would get thrown at him."

"Did you recognize him right away?"

"It took me a moment but yes. That's only because I saw a news report about him this morning though," Yancy replied.

"Where did you find him?"

Yancy quickly told her the address.

"Is there anything else that you can tell us, whether you deem it useful or not?"

He shook his head. "I'm sorry but no."

"Then you are free to leave. I doubt it but we'll call you if we have any more questions," said the woman. "You're free to go."

As Yancy made his way back to the outside, it was only after he felt the bite of the winter chill that he realized that he'd never gotten his jacket back. He shook his head though, knowing the kid probably needed it a lot more than he did at the moment. Yancy wished Chuck all the luck in the world, even if the world seemed to be against him at the moment.


	5. Shot in the Dark

The actual locks of the car hadn't been the problem. It had been that Scott had childproofed the back doors. However, Mako had succeeded in flipping the little lever on the inside of the door one day before getting into the car. She would've liked to roll out after Chuck but it was hard enough unbuckling him, reaching across, opening the door, and shoving him out.

Stopping, Scott rushed around, childproofed the door, and slammed it so hard that Mako thought it might break. He would've driven back if he hadn't known that such a prospect of finding Chuck was pointless. Instead, without saying a word after the incident, he turned down a different path and started heading towards another unknown destination.

When they finally stopped, they were by the sea at some abandoned set of warehouses. Scott didn't talk and Mako kept silent, not wanting to provoke the man any further. He roughly dragged her from the car and went around back, opening up the trunk and gathering several items from it.

Mako had never seen the inside of the trunk and looking down, she couldn't help but wonder if all the items had been there before or if Scott had bought them at different points along the way without Mako or Chuck noticing. He grabbed a set of chains along with a large, rolled up piece of fabric that could've held anything compared to Mako's knowledge. Scott also got a set of handcuffs from under a sleeping bag.

Keeping everything in one hand and the other firmly set on Mako's shirt, he dragged her to one of the buildings, moving around until he found one that wasn't locked. Kicking the door open, he pushed her and closed the door behind them. The windows were high up; to high to climb, and most of the area was empty space like it had been used for storage. Two tall racks were still left on one side along with several boxes that looked like they could weigh a ton on top of them. On the other side there was a door that was leading to a likely former office.

Walking over to the racks, he handcuffed her to one of the metal bars and then turned away; unrolling the object he had been holding. Inside, a number of knives glistened in the light.

Mako tried not to cry but a few tears betrayed her as she pushed herself back as far as she could go. Her voice shook as she softly asked, "What are you going to do?"

At first, he didn't answer, still examining the blades. He took each one out, made sure that Mako was able to see its full length, and then put it back down only to pull out another one. It was only once he was done with them that he finally fully turned to face Mako, crouching to one knee.

"You stupid little bitch," whispered Scot, leaning in. "We could have made a life here and then you go and do something like that. I should've never taken you. I should've just thrown you aside when I had the chance or shot you."

"You still didn't answer my question," Mako replied, unsure if saying such a statement would only get her into more trouble.

Nevertheless, Scott wasn't provoked further and only laughed, shaking his head. "You really want to know? I'll tell you then. Little Chuck will probably be safe somewhere by now. I bet Pentecost is with him too. The damn Brit will have hope that he'll find you as well, more hope than you can imagine after Herc's death. And that's when I'll kill you. I'll string you up and put you on display for this entire city to see. When that happens, I'll disappear, let them thing it's over, let them drown in their grief. Once that's over and done with, I'll finally hunt them down, kill Pentecost, and have _what is rightfully_ _mine_!"

Mako was nearly sobbing by this point no matter how hard she tried to stop. Her entire body shaking, she curled in on herself only to feel Scott pat her side.

"Hey, look on the bright side of things. You still have a few more days to live."

He turned, leaving her to cry, and went out of the warehouse to finally have some alone time. He'd never killed anyone like what he had in mind. Only a gunshot here and there. The closest thing he could think of was when he nearly killed his brother the first time. Scott reminisced on the power he felt back then, the feel of cutting through muscle and tissue. He was almost giddy with excitement. Nevertheless, he was still thoroughly pissed off, especially because he now couldn't go out and get a drink somewhere.

Sighing, he decided to see if there was any news on his nephew. He'd already gotten a radio to be able to listen in on the police and was extremely pleased with himself that he now had. There was mostly nothing, listening to their chatter being a lot like a radio show in Scott's opinion. Boring with the occasional funny comment or serious situation.

He was about to go back into the warehouse when he stopped and turned up the sound just a little bit. Cocking his head to the side, he listened to the report that was being said and then heard an unknown name.

Yancy Becket, interesting. It appeared that he had been the one to help little Chuck get to the police. Scott had been planning to just deal with Mako but killing this Becket guy, it could also help greatly with making his point across. He'd of course have to rush the process. Even the police weren't stupid enough to not realize that Scott was the one to take the guy. He still had to find him first though.

He went back inside and went over to where Mako was. From the discoloration on her wrist, it looked like she had been trying to get free but it was also clear that she hadn't succeeded, nor would she unless she cut off her own wrist. It made Scott grin as he said, "I'll be back soon. I'll make sure to get you something too."

As he turned to leave, Mako yanked at the metal with all her might. Once Scott was actually gone from the building, she got up and tried to pull with all her body weight. The entire idea was gone and even trying to reach for a knife to break the chain was pointless. The back was to far for her to grasp, along with any hope of living.

* * *

Chuck answered their questions like a robot, never really showing any emotion after his breakdown in front of Yancy. Despite the elder's words and attempts at comfort, they hadn't really worked. Chuck just didn't like crying in front of people and had forced himself to stop.

Gripping the man's jacket tighter around his form, he wondered what would happen next. There was an officer assigned to the room that he was waiting in but after several attempts of trying to get Chuck to speak, he'd stopped and started messing with his phone.

Before hand, the officers had asked Chuck if he'd need anything but he had declined. Now, his stomach growled again so he took out the tangerine in his pocket and began picking at it. He peeled it slowly, letting each slice settle in his stomach before he got another one. When he was done with that, he moved each piece of skin around. He played with the remnants of the tangerine for what felt like forever. There wasn't a clock in the room but the fading light outside showed him that hours had passed.

Finally, a woman came in and whispered a few words to the officer on duty. He listened and then nodded, leaving the room with the woman. Confused, Chuck made to get up but froze upon seeing who came in the door next. He didn't know what to say or do. He expected accusing fingers to be pointed his way, for yelling to start.

Instead, Stacker ran forward and succeeded in picking Chuck up and hugging him so tightly that Chuck found it a bit hard to breath. He didn't protest the movement though, to shocked that Stacker was so glad to see him. After all, it had only been recently that Chuck had even begun to warm up to the man.

"Thank god you're safe. Herc will be so happy."

Chuck sucked in a huge breath, pulling away from Stacker's grip. "But dad's dead," he murmured, eyes widening. He tried to think of how the man couldn't already know. It wasn't like his Uncle had been able to do anything with the body.

Stacker set Chuck down though and gently ran a hand through his hair. "Chuck, did you ever actually see the bullet wound?"

"No," the boy softly admitted. The entire incident had happened to fast. Blood had been the only thing he had been able to focus on anyways.

"Then you can trust me when I say he is alive. In a coma, but alive and getting better by the second," Stacker responded. "He'll make it through."

"I thought…I thought it would be my fault," whispered Chuck. "I thought he died because of me. I thought you'd hate me."

"How could I ever hate you?" murmured Stacker. "None of this is your fault, or will it ever be. There have been times where we have been at odds, that is true. But I never hated you, and I will always care for you as if you were my own."

"But what about Mako?"

Stacker simply shook his head. "We will do everything in our power to find her. And even if we…" He trailed off, having to pause before he continued. The shaky breath that Stacker took in was the first time Chuck had ever seen the man truly unnerved. It was startling as he continued. "If we don't find her, you are to remember that it was never your fault. Never. Understand?"

Chuck wiped his eyes and nodded, lunging forward to hold onto Stacker like a lifeline. He had been afraid of hoping before but now with Stacker's forgiveness and his dad alive, he thought back to Yancy Becket and his words. Maybe there was hope.

It still wouldn't be until several hours later that he would finally realize he'd kept the young man's jacket.

* * *

There was only one Becket in the phone book and though the first name wasn't Yancy, Scott decided it was his best shot. Making his way to the address, it was now dark outside and due to the cold, the large jacket and pulled up hood didn't look to suspicious either. He doubted anyone would've recognized him since the police only just now realized he was in Anchorage, but it was reassuring nevertheless.

When he got to the address, he noticed there wasn't a car in the driveway but the lights were on so he made his way to one of the windows on the side of the house. Scott made sure to look around just in case but no one was outside. Easing himself up, he looked through the window and into a living room type area. There was a boy and girl sitting on the floor, most likely doing homework.

He hoped he'd be able to hear them speak because he'd really rather take one and not all of them. Still, Scott was prepared to grab them all later that night if need be.

The cold freezing his blood, Scott stood there for about ten minutes without moving. He watched the children talk to each other but he couldn't hear either of them. Then, without warning, the boy shouted out, "Yancy!"

Scott couldn't help the smile that appeared on his lips, it was perfect. He waited, hoping Yancy would actually come into the room and not just shout something back. He wasn't disappointed as he watched the man make his way into the room. He was pretty young which was just a bit shocking but Scott was planning on killing a ten year old so his resolve for killing someone he'd never met was already made up as he left the property.

As Scott did so, Yancy helped out Raleigh with a homework problem and then returned to cleaning the kitchen. He'd told them a little of what had happened that day and to see their disbelieving looks had certainly been humorous. It had been similar to when Yancy had finally got to Tendo's and he explained why he was late.

Certainly nothing any more exciting would happen to him in his lifetime. Now reality was back again and Yancy still had to make some very important decisions. He hadn't informed Raleigh or Jazmine about the idea of selling the house.

Because of this, it wasn't surprising that he found it hard to sleep that night. At one point, he awoke, thinking he heard footsteps, but quickly threw away that idea and tried to go back to bed. As he lay there, he thought he got the paranoid idea that someone else was in the room but as he turned around, the world went black.

When Yancy finally came too, it took a while for his eyes to adjust to the near darkness. A trashcan had been filled with paper and cardboard and was now burning not far from where he sat.

Only he wasn't sitting.

Shaking his head, which only increased the pounding inside it, Yancy realized that his feet weren't touching the ground either. He was in one of those warehouses, chained up by his wrists. Realizing made him become conscious of how painful that was and he tried to find some type of footing to help ease the pain but he kept slipping and finally let out a strangled cry.

A short gasp answered it.

"Hello?" asked Yancy, looking around. He didn't see anyone at first but upon hearing a sniffling sound, he looked down to realize that only about a foot away on his right, a little girl was handcuffed to the very same thing that he was now chained to. It didn't take long for him to realize who she was. "Mako—?"

"Ah, so you know who she is too, do you?" asked a voice from his far left. A door shut and the voice came closer until the light of the fire reached him. "I wonder if you recognized Chuck right away too."

"You're the uncle," whispered Yancy, already putting the pieces together despite how much his head hurt and how tired he was.

"Good, you're not a complete idiot, though you clearly don't know how to stay out of other people's business, Yancy Becket."

"You mean Chuck, right? He needed to get to the police. You kidnapped him!" Yancy cried out.

Scott shrugged. "Maybe so but it was still my business until you got in the way. I was content with just sending the girl as a message but killing the savor of my nephew as well? It'll be perfect!"

Kneeling down in front of him, Scott began to sort through the assortment of knives that only just then, Yancy noticed. He took out a small one, let it lazily move in front of Yancy's eyes, and then viciously sliced at Yancy's exposed collarbone.

He gasped, the effect not so much painful but shocking. The cut started stinging like hell as he shook in his shackles.

"Pay close attention Mako. Once I'm done with him you'll be put up here for your own show. But first, let's do something to make this a bit more interesting," Scott said, taking a phone out of his pocket. It was simple, probably a prepaid phone. While Yancy watched him dial a number, he had to blink, unsure if he'd seen the number right.

He had however and heard the familiar, "Nine-one-one. What is your emergency?"

"Yes, there's a man here who's about to have his spinal cord cut along with other multiple lacerations," replied Scott. Before the woman or Yancy could say anything, Scott tightened his grip on the small knife and shoved it into Yancy's abdomen. He let out a good scream that Scott made sure the woman on the other end could hear before snapping the phone in half and throwing it into the trashcan.

"Probably didn't trace it and even if they did, they'll have a wide area they'll be looking over so it looks like we all have plenty of time," Scott said with another grin.

Leaving the small knife in Yancy's stomach, Scott retrieved another knife. He allowed it to cut open several more cuts but all the pain Yancy felt was directed into his stomach where that one knife still was. He wondered if he'd bleed out before Scott succeeded in killing him.

It was then that he saw the keys beside the laid out knives. Yancy didn't know if they belonged to the handcuffs that had Mako chained up or not but it was certainly forth a shot. However, his feet weren't even touching the ground and there was no way he'd be able to reach them.

Trying to assure himself that the thing he was being held against was to big and sturdy to fall over, Yancy suddenly thrashed out, causing Scott to fall and his instruments to scatter. He screamed as pain flashed through his body, not able to hear what Scott was now shouting.

Yancy gave a quick glance over, trying to see where the keys had gone. For all he knew they had been flung into the darkness or were under him. It seemed like his little plan had only riled up Scott more.

Scott grabbed hold of Yancy's shoulder and flipped him around, his wrists crossing painfully and the knife in his gut was pulled to the side.

"I would've let you live a bit longer but now you've just pissed me off," growled Scott.

Yancy felt the point of the knife being teased along his spine. He was ready to close his eyes when out of the corner of them he saw that Mako was no longer there. Realizing that the kid might just have a chance, Yancy thought back to the moment when he'd first seen Chuck on that street. He knew now that even if he had known the outcome, he would have still helped the kid.

"I'm sorry Raleigh. I'm so sorry Jazmine," Yancy whispered before he felt the knife slip into his skin.

His nerves on fire, Yancy's eyes closed but before he was completely submerged in the darkness, he heard a blast from behind and felt a certain mass land against him.

* * *

The keys had reached Mako. She had freed herself. However, she hadn't run. Instead, remembering, Scott's gun, she moved behind him and was grateful to see that it was still stuffed into the back of his pants. When he stabbed Yancy, she moved forward and grabbed it. Backing up quickly, she fired once, the bullet hitting his chest.

She hoped he was dead but a gurgling sound from the body told her that he wasn't.

Mako, only ten, watched the man bleed out before her and only when he stopped moving did she slowly place the gun down and allow herself to cry. They were not tears of sorrow or terror, however, but tears of joy as the prospect of seeing Stacker and Chuck again came to her mind.

Still crying, she grabbed the keys and made to try and get Yancy down. At first, it was out of respect but when she realized he was still breathing, her movements became much more hurried. She succeeded in unlocking one arm but the sudden lack of restraints on that one side caused his body to fall and she heard the sound of his right wrist breaking.

Jumping down, she hurried to the other side and was able to get him down but he fell forward in a twisted heap. Turning him over, she almost tried to take the knife out but thought better of it and instead searched Scott for another phone but he didn't have it on him.

She then grabbed his car keys and ran outside, searching the car but it wasn't there either. Mako couldn't tell if it really wasn't there or if she was just panicking to much to see it. Finally, she did the next best thing she could think of and turned the car alarm on, the sound echoing in the empty space surrounding the warehouses.

Mako ran back inside and tried to make Yancy as comfortable as possible, unsure if he'd be alive by the time anyone got there.

It was at this time that the realization of killing someone finally hit her and that was how the police and EMTs found her. Her sobs echoed across the empty space with a dead man in front of her and a dying man in her lap.

* * *

**AN: Bit shorter than the last ones so sorry for that. Hope people are still enjoying it though!**


	6. End of the Line

The first thing Yancy notices is the lack of feeling. He can't move any of his limbs and the world around him is completely black. His breathing is shallow but it doesn't hurts so he figures he must be doped up on something.

So he's not dead. That's certainly a bit shocking.

Yancy once again tries to open his eyes. A crack of light filters through the darkness and his hearing is slowly returning. Someone moves past him and there's another body to his right. He takes in a deeper breath, this time his eyes open fully. Blinking rapidly, he feels someone gently take his hand, which he has used to block the light, and put it back to the bed.

"Becket. Mr. Yancy Becket. Do you know where you are?" asked a man's voice.

"Hospital?" Yancy croaks out, his voice scratchy from lack of water or using it.

"Very good. Do you know what happened?" Then someone else, the man on his right, speaks and the probably nurse turns. "Get some water? Yes that would be fine."

Yancy tried to see who it was but he only got a small glimpse of the person. Turning back to the other man, he whispered, "Yes."

The man looks like he's about to ask something else but thinks better of it and stops. Instead, he asks, "Are you alright with visitors? There are quite a few here today. Or I can get the doctor and we can discuss the trauma that you received."

"Visitors first," Yancy muttered, thinking about Jazmine and Raleigh. "Definitely."

The man gives a sad smile and nods, leaving the room. As he does so, the man from before comes in. Yancy immediately thinks military what with his posture and stern gaze. He doesn't say anything at first, setting the glass of water on the table beside the bed. He pulled a chair closer and sat down.

"My name is Stacker Pentecost," the man said with a British accent.

It took a moment before Yancy recognized the name. He remembered how Chuck had been crying, thinking that the man in front of him would hate him. Mako then comes to his mind and his words mix together as he says, "Where's Mako? Is she alright?! What about Chuck? Where—"

"In time Mr. Becket. You have been through quite an ordeal," Stacker replied, raising a hand. "Maybe you should drink your water first."

Yancy nodded and slowly pushed himself up, still not being able to feel much. He takes the cup in one hand but it immediately starts shaking so badly that he has to set it back down.

"Let me help."

It's a bit embarrassing, especially since Yancy hardly knows this man, but he's thankful when the cold liquid washes down his throat. Leaning back, he asked again, "Where are they?"

"Both are healing. They are downstairs with your two siblings, my sister, her partner, and my own."

"Why are you here then?"

"They were hungry and I promised them that I'd watch over you while they were gone. None of the children hardly left your side," said Stacker.

"How long?"

"A little over a week."

"And you're still here?"

"Chuck and Mako wouldn't leave until you woke up. And my partner only just awoke from a coma. He's only been here for two days along with Luna and Tamsin."

"But…wait. Chuck said his father was dead. So does—"

"He did not die. Chuck believed he did but thankfully he survived," Stacker responded and for the first time, Yancy sees a ghost of a smile appear on his emotionless face. "There is also a matter which I would like to discuss with you involving your parental right over your siblings. I have already taken care of getting you an excellent and well trusted lawyer. Your court date will be in about a month."

"But I…you shouldn't have—"

"Please do not argue with me Mr. Becket because it will not make much of a difference. You have done more than enough in helping my two children and I will forever be in your debt. Also, your friend Mr. Choi has been by as well."

"Tendo? How is he—"

But before he could finish, several chattering kids came in and froze where they stood. Stacker stood up and took several respectful steps back as Jazmine and Raleigh ran forward at full speed.

He had never been happier to see them and both seemed to burst into tears instantly no matter how hard they tried not to. Moving as much as he could, Yancy hugged them as tightly as he could. "I'm here. I'm here," he whispered.

It takes a bit, but he finally realizes that Stacker and his family are trying to leave the room and give them some privacy. However, Chuck clearly doesn't want to leave, not just yet, and finally he breaks away from his father and runs towards Yancy.

"I…I just wanted to give you back your coat," Chuck tried to say, his voice shaking like a leaf. Clearly he doesn't want to cry but it's not easy. In his hands is Yancy's coat.

"Chuck just-thank you so much. But keep it, please."

Shock crosses Chuck's face while at the same time an unusual anger crosses Raleigh's but Yancy decides to address that later. Instead, he replied, "I want you to keep it. Like I said before, you need it more than me. Besides, I have hundreds of sweaters and that's a pretty comfy coat." He shoots a final smile Chuck's way and that seems to sell him.

Now shuffling his feet, Chuck murmured, "I'll leave you alone with your family now."

The kid still looks on the verge of tears but at least he seemed a bit happier.

Almost an hour passed before a nurse came back in. He wanted to keep talking to Raleigh and Jazmine, wanted to see Chuck and Mako again, but the nurse convinced both of the kids that Yancy needed enough rest. Apparently Tendo was picking them up but as the nurse relayed the message, Tendo said he wouldn't come up that day since he wouldn't be able to stop talking once he arrived.

Finally, the doctor came in. Yancy had already been expecting the worst so when the truth came out, the only feeling he got was numbness.

"Sir, are you alright?"

Yancy turned away. "Raleigh and Jazmine will be okay. I'll get to keep them, help them make it to college. Mako and Chuck are safe." He had stop for a moment, his voice almost breaking. Taking a large sigh, he continued with, "And Scott Hansen is dead. Damn my legs. I don't care if I'll never watch again. I am more than alright."

The smile, the tears, it shocked the doctor but it was certainly better than the reaction he had been expecting. It wasn't until the next day that Yancy finally got to see everyone. Raleigh and Jazmine were there the entire day. Tendo came in the morning and evening. Yancy also finally got to speak with Chuck and Mako.

When they came to his room, Chuck was wearing his jacket; the front part of it zipped up. It was certainly much to big but the boy would grow into it eventually. Neither were happy when they finally had to leave but Yancy promised to keep in touch.

Their parents and aunts came and thanked him once more for what had occurred. They left a week later.

* * *

People never come out of any situation unchanged whether good or bad. Yet no one allowed themselves to become broken. The nightmares, though never fully stopping, drifted away and the happy memories of each day replaced each broken memory. It was years before the Beckets would see the others though.

Both Chuck and Mako were twenty-two when Yancy, Raleigh, and Jazmine flew to England. They had kept in contact but there had simply never been a chance to see each other. Now, as Yancy rolled through the airport with Raleigh and Jazmine behind him, he finally spotted The Pentecost-Hansen family. Looking at their smiles, seeing how much they had grown, any doubt or remorse in Yancy's mind vanished permanently.

Now standing in a group, everyone there understood how uneasy and difficult life had been, but no one regretted a single choice they had made.

* * *

**AN: Certainly not a long chapter but a happy ending so I hope anyone who reads this has enjoyed it. Thank you again!**


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